Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

intrinsic

American  
[in-trin-sik, -zik] / ɪnˈtrɪn sɪk, -zɪk /

adjective

  1. belonging to a thing by its very nature.

    the intrinsic value of a gold ring.

    Synonyms:
    true, natural, innate, native
    Antonyms:
    extrinsic, extrinsic
  2. Anatomy. (of certain muscles, nerves, etc.) belonging to or lying within a given part.


intrinsic British  
/ ɪnˈtrɪnsɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent

  2. anatomy situated within or peculiar to a part

    intrinsic muscles

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See essential.

Other Word Forms

  • intrinsically adverb

Etymology

Origin of intrinsic

First recorded in 1480–90; Middle English intrinsique “inner,” from Old French intrinseque “internal, inner,” from Late Latin intrinsecus “inward” (adjective), from Latin intrinsecus “on the inside, inwards” (adverb), equivalent to intrin- (from int(e)r-, as in interior + -im, an old accusative ending used as an adverb suffix + secus “beside,” derivative of sequī “to follow”)

Compare meaning

How does intrinsic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The economic consequences are not an accidental byproduct of this conflict, they are an intrinsic aspect of the war.

From BBC

Berkshire has had a longstanding policy of share repurchases, but only if the estimated “intrinsic value” of the shares crossed a certain undisclosed threshold.

From MarketWatch

The company had over $300 billion in cash last year and stated it can repurchase shares “at any time we believe the repurchase price is below our intrinsic value.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Each contract covered a block of 100 shares and was worth something, called the premium, composed of time value, intrinsic value and implied volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal

But a plane is different in that its structure is intrinsic to the machine.

From The Wall Street Journal